Fiji Airways eyes Odys Aviation’s hybrid-electric VTOL
September 19, 2024
Fiji Airways has expressed interest in acquiring hybrid-electric VTOL developer Odys Aviation’s ‘Laila’ aircraft, with an intra-island pilot programme expected to commence next year.
The hybrid-electric VTOL employs “the best of conventional gas turbines and all-electric battery VTOL,” explains its Californian developers. Unlike other eVTOL manufacturers pursuing the path of tilting fans and rotors, Odys Aviation is employing flap-based thrust vectoring as the primary mechanism for lift generation; which, paired with box wings, is set to “generate impressive pitch authority and stability while hovering”.
The two-pilot, nine-passenger aircraft is projected to have a 200 mile electric range (with a 400 mile total range) and can cruise at a speed of 345mph. Also designed in multiple configurations for cargo, this will enable it to connect all of Fiji’s 330 islands “and will open up new emergency medical routes that have, until now, been inaccessible because of infrastructure challenges,” explains Odys Aviation.
“Through our partnership with Odys Aviation, Fiji Airways is strengthening its focus on reducing aviation emissions and defining a roadmap to serve the next generation of travellers,” commented Andre Viljoen, CEO of Fiji Airways. He added that the partnership will “drive [the airline’s] investment in the future of travel and lifestyle for the people of Fiji as well”.
Fiji Airways’ interest in Odys Aviation follows a recent partnership between the startup and Honeywell, which will see the pair collaborate on the design of new ground control stations to support the Laila’s rollout in the Pacific.
